Top Apps: Sleepbot

Again, a different type of post to what I usually do and, don't worry, I will get back to reviewing beauty products! There are two main reasons why I've taken a break from beauty reviews and they are: 1) since starting to write my dissertation my skincare routine has taken a bit of a back seat (tragic I know!) and 2) my dwindling student budget hasn't allowed me to buy anything new in a long time. That being said I have my eye on a few Origins products so keep your eyes peeled for those reviews!

Anyway onto this post! I was going to do just one post of my favourite apps I've been discovering over the last few months but I just had too much to say about each one (shocker!) so thought each deserved their own individual time to shine. 

Starting with Sleepbot:

I've been using this app for about two weeks now and I actually really like it. Now don't get me wrong it's not life-changing but from a nosey point of view it is quite interesting information to know. I initially sought out a sleep tracker because, for a while now, it seems like no matter how much sleep I get I am always, always tired. I started to wonder why that was and thought maybe seeing what goes on in my sleep will give me some answers and it pretty much did. 

Sleepbot works by keeping your phone or tablet on your bed with you while you sleep. There are three things it is designed to track and you can choose which settings to turn on depending on what you want to know. These settings are "motion tracker" which measures your movements during the night, "sound tracker" which record the audio in your room and "smart alarm" which uses your movements within a 30 minute period of your set alarm time to determine when you're at your lightest stage of sleep, making waking up easier.                                 

Just set an alarm, choose what you'd like to track and tell Sleepbot that you're going to sleep, simple!

Both tracking results are recorded and displayed on a graph, which spikes when you move or when there is noise. I always have the motion tracker on because I thought that might be where my sleeping issues come from. I was right. Most nights the graph shows just how restless I am, showing increased movement every 15-20 minutes; no wonder I wake up shattered! I haven't tried the sound tracker yet purely for wimpy reasons; I'm honestly half expecting it to playback some form of ghost activity which may be silly but I'm convinced my house is haunted and I'd rather not confirm that!

Bad nights' sleep (top) compared to a good night's sleep (bottom)

The app also give you a chance to rate your sleep out of 5 stars and write a short comment on it, whether that's a note about a dream/nightmare you had or just to sum up how you think you slept.

Rating system

All your sleep data is recorded, making it easy for you to go back and check previous nights'/weeks' sleep. Other information it gives you includes how much sleep you owe yourself in terms of getting 8 hours of sleep a night, how long you're asleep for (also shown in graph form) and what your average sleep time is.

All of your recorded nights' sleep archived

The number of hours sleep you have during the week plotted on one easy to read graph

This app is only available on android but I know my housemate has a pretty good one on her iPhone (don't we sound like a fun house!) that also tells you at what stages you were in light, deep and REM sleep so that could be interesting too!

All in all it's a great app that can show you some really interesting things about your sleep pattern. It's free so you really have nothing to lose and it's sort of addictive! I've become quite excited about checking my sleep in the morning (it's not like I experienced the real thing or anything...). Sad I know but I'd definitely recommend it!

Anyone else tried a sleep tracker app? I'd love to know your thoughts!

Review: Origins Super Spot Remover

What is it?
Blemish treatment gel. It's a clear gel as pictured above.

What does it claim to do?
To "heal, fight and fade" blemishes. It uses Salicylic Acid to speed up the healing process, Caffeine and Red Algae to visibly relieve redness and super exfoliators to eliminate excess oils and pore-clogging debris.

How to use it.
Just dab a small amount, as and when needed, directly on to any blemishes on the face.

Verdict.
So it's been a while since my last product review (apologies!) but what better way to get back into it than with an Origins product. I've made no secret of my love of Origins as a brand; I find their products faultless, which is always hard to find with skin as sensitive as mine, and this product is no exception. I apply this on any spots I may have in the morning after cleansing but before moisturising, again when I get home from uni and then lastly right before I go to bed (after cleansing but before moisturising again). When I do this I find the next morning that the spot has pretty much disappeared, if not completely, at least enough to make it easier to cover with makeup. The reason I say to apply this before moisturising is because spot gels (although this one to a lesser extent than others I've tried) have a tendency to dry skin out a bit so just to re-hydrate my skin and to help the gel sink in quicker I moisturise after.
The biggest tip I have with this product is: use it early! I can't stress this enough; as soon as you see the beginnings of a spot get some of this Super Spot Remover gel straight on there. It is an absolute miracle worker for spots that are only just starting to appear because it immediately stops them getting any redder or bigger, resulting in a "speedy recovery" as it were. I have a real problem with the marks spots leave behind. I tend to have a darker mark, where the spot used to be, lingering for weeks after the spot has gone. For those marks I don't find this product is a quick fix (and with problem skin like mine I wouldn't expect it to be!) but continually applying this gel on those marks has resulted in them only lingering for about a week as opposed to the usual three weeks. Like I said the key to this product is early and multiple applications.
Ok so lets talk numbers! Origins Super Spot Remover is £14, which I know sounds pretty pricey for 10ml and I was hesitant about putting my card details into the Origins website. That being said I am so so glad that I did because my skin would be a lot worse off without it. Also don't let the size of the bottle fool you! I've been using it multiple times a day for the last 3 months and it hardly looks like anything has left the bottle so I really do think this will be a very long-lasting product.

Sum Up.
So to sum up, those are pretty big claims Origins are making about this product but I can honestly say, for me at least, they tick every one of those boxes. When using this, my blemishes heal faster and are almost instantly less red and visible. I'd definitely recommend this Spot Remover because, if used correctly, the results are unquestionable. Now I know everyone's skins different so I suppose I can't generalise it to everyone but I honestly think it's worth a go if you're struggling with spots. If it doesn't get rid of them completely, it will at least reduce them to a more manageable level.

And just quickly, sometimes spot treatments can be harsh on skin, this one is really mild. As I've mentioned before I have really sensitive skin and I can use this no problem, so just thought I'd add that to reassure any other sensitive skin sufferers out there!

Anyone else tried Origins Super Spot Remover? I'd love to know how you got on!